Toilet valve



Feb. 20, 1934. N, WAYNE 1,947,627

TOILET VALVE Filed Sept. 21. 1931 FIG. 1. E

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Patented Feb. 29, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKlE Application September21, 1931 Serial No. 563,990

7 Claims.

This invention relates to flush tank valves of the type commonly knownas toilet tank balls.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve member of the characterdescribed which constructcd, arranged and operated to positively andcorrectly engage valve seats of many different sizes and regardless ofirregularites of alignment and position or movement of the valveoperatmeans and other parts of the valve mecha-- nism, wher by toprevent leakage, chattering and other noises as well as other failuresand objections occasioned by improper seating, all in particularlyeilicacious manner.

Another object is to provide a valve member of the character descibed,wherein a relatively long and flexible stein formed integral with andfor attaching the valve member to the operating rod is constructed andarranged to move freely universally relative to and without tilting ordisplacing or interfering with the proper movement seating or" the valvemember in the event irregular operating thrusts are transmitted. to saidstem due to incorrect alignment and operation of the operatingmechanism, as is often the case in toilet mechanism.

A further object is to provide a valve member or the characterdescribed, wherein the aforefiexible stem is joined to the valve propera point below the center of gravity of the latter whereby to minimizemovement of the valve proper at the portion thereof when the stem isflexed or moved irregularly as aforesaid, and to provide for a morepositive and. effective transmission of the lifting and seating forcesto the valve adjacent the seated portions thereof and thereby minimizestrain and wear on the valve as a whole.

Still another object or" the invention is to provide a tank ball of thecharacter described, wherein the seating and adjacent portions there ofare reinforced in a particularly efficacious manner to insure aneffective seating of the valve and render it reliable in operation overlong periods of use.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objects andadvantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in theparts and in the combination, construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed and illustrated by way of example inthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a vertical sectional View of the valve of this invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of line 2-2of Figure 1;

ing drawing, comprises a generally conical body A of hollow formationand preferably constructed of soft rubber or like compressible andresilient material. At its lower end the bottom wall 3 of the body has acentral opening 4 as is customary in the art Whereas the top or upperwall 5 is or" concave-convex form with its convex side uppermost and hasa central relatively deep con ical depression or well 6 therein. Theannular wall "I of the body comprises the seating portion of valve andis adapted to engage a beveled valve seat B surrounding an outlet 0 ofthe toilet tank D, as shown in Figure 1. The long taper or bevel of thisannular side wall '7 provides for accommodation of the valve to valveseats of many sizes and insures a proper seating and. sealing action ofthe valve in all cases. r

The depression or gravity well 6 acts as a stabilizer by virtue of itscentralization. of the hydrostatic pressure over the out-flow when thevalve is open. It also acts to bring the hydrostatic pressure close tothe center of gravity of the valve when the latter is closed whereby toproperly maintain the valve in position.

To provide for a flexible connection of the valve with the usualoperating rod E therefor, the valve body is formed with 2. preferablyintegral and generally tubular rubber stem 8 extending upwardly from thebottom of the depression 6 and. terminating well above the valve.preferably tapered towards its upper end to increase the flexibilitythereof and is spaced from the sides of the depression 6 whereby it isfree to move universally. At its closed and solid upper end 9 the stemhas a nut 10 embedded therein so as to be exposed for connectiontherewith of the threaded end F of the rod E. lnasmuch'as the stem 8 isrelatively flexible, it will move freely in response to any irregularthrust or pull thereon as may be occasioned owing to improper alignmentor positioning of the rod E and its associated operating mechanism, notshown. Assuch irregularities are common in toilet valve mechanisms, itis apparent that the great flexibility of the stem is essential in orderto insure a proper seating and unseating or" the valve. The particularconstruction and arrangement of the stem 8, it will now be noted,permits of free irregular movements of the stem, without appreciablytilting or moving the valve body in such manner as This stem is w wouldprevent proper seating and unseating of the valve.

It should be noted that the point of connection of the flexible stem 8is below the center of gravity of the valve body and substantially inline with or in the horizontal plane of the seating portions or zones ofthe valve, these portions being the middle section of the annular wall'7, as indicated at 12 in Figure 1. Thus it is seen that while the stemis relatively long to provide the desired fiexibility when it is movedlaterally or irregularly it offers a poor leverage for movement of theseating portions or zone 12 because of the proximity of the lower end 13of the stem to the plane or planes of said seating portions or zone.

To reinforce and stiffen the valve at the seating zone 12 thereof, thebody is formed interiorly with an annular rib 14 located at said zone.This adds life to the valve, by increasing thickness at the joint wherethe valve is most likely to seat with the average sized toilet valve andalso insures a reliable seating action.

To further stiffen and reinforce the valve, webs 16 are formedinteriorly in the upper part of the hollow body, said webs joining thedepressed portion of the top wall with the other portions of said walland extending radially from the depressed portions. These webs alsopresent the depressed portion of the top from being pulled out orinverted.

The depression 6 provides a well for the water in the toilet tank anddue to its depth and central location applies the weight of the water tothe valve in such manner as to act as ballasting means and insure aclose and proper seating of the valve.

In the modified form of the invention, as shown in Figure 3, the valve17 is identical in construetion to the valve shown in Figures 1 and 2except that rubber stem 8 is omitted. Instead of the upstanding rubberstem the valve 17 has the metal rod or stem 18 extended into the well 19and screwed into a nut 20 embedded in the bottom of the well.

It should be noted that the walls 21 of the well are relatively thin andgradually decrease in width towards thelower end of the well. Thisprovides great flexibility and permits of the direct connection of themetal stem with the bottom of the well, the flexibility of said wallsproviding in a measure for the advantages secured by the rubber stem. Inthis form the well 19 functions in the same manner as the well 6 of thefirst described well.

I claim:

1. In a valve, a valve body having a circumferential seating surfacebetween its upper and lower sides and a depression in its upper side,said depression having its bottom disposed on a plane belowthe line ofcontact of said seating surface with its seat, and a flexible sternjoined to the body at the bottom of said depression and extendingupwardly therefrom.

2. In a valve, a valve body having a circumferential seating surfacebetween its upper and lower sides and a depression in its upper side,said depression having its bottom disposed on a plane below the line ofcontact of said seating surface with its seat, and a flexible sternjoined to the body at the bottom of said depression and extendingupwardly therefrom with its upper end disposed well upon the upper sideof said body.

3. In a valve, a valve body having a circumferential seating surfacebetween its upper and lower sides and a depression in its upper side,said depression having its bottom disposed on a plane below the line ofcontact of said seating surface with its seat, and a flexible stemjoined to the body at the bottom of said depression and extendingupwardly therefrom, said stem being spaced circumferentially from thesides of said depression.

4. In a valve, a valve body having a circumferential seating surfacebetween its upper and lower sides and a depression in its upper side,said depression having its bottom disposed on a plane below the line ofcontact of said seating surface with its seat, and a flexible sternjoined to the body at the bottom of said depression and extendingupwardly therefrom, said stem being spaced circumferentially from thesides of said depression and tapered towards its upper end.

5. In a valve, a valve body having a circumferential seating surfacebetween its upper and lower sides and a depression in its upper side,said depression having its bottom disposed on a plane below the line ofcontact of said seating surface with its seat, a flexible stem joined tothe body at the bottom of said depression and extending upwardlytherefrom, and means at the upper end of said stern providing forattachment of an operating stem thereto.

6. In a valve, a hollow body formed of compressible and resilientmaterial and provided with an annular seating portion between the upperand lower sides thereof and with a depression in said upper side,reinforcing webs joining the depressed portion of the said upper sideand the remainder of said upper side, and a flexible stem joined to thebody at the bottom of said depression and extending upward therefrom.

7. In a valve, a hollow body formed of compressible and resilientmaterial and provided with an annular seating portion between the upperand lower sides thereof and with a depression in said upper side,reinforcing webs joining the depressed portion of the said upper sideand the remainder of said upper side, a flexible stem joined to the bodyat the bottom of said depression and extending upward therefrom, and anannular bead on the inner side of said seating portion.

HERBERT N. WAYNE.

